Apparatus for drying textile bands, yarns, slivers, tops, and the like



July 7, 1931. R SCHILDE.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING TEXTILE BANDS,

YARNS, TOPS, AND THE LIKE SLIVERS Filed June 2, 1925 (liflv we? r.

Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED sra'ras PAraNr oer-ice RICHARD SCHILDE, OF HERSFELD, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR DRYING TEXTILE BANDS, YARNS, SLIYEB-S, TOPS, AND THE LIKE Application filed June 2, 1925, Serial No. 34,442, and in Germany February 21, 1925.

This invention relates to an apparatus for drying card sliver, tops and other textile material in the form of handle or threads, the characteristic feature of which is that the bands or threads are brought onto a conveyor belt which is permeable to air, carried on the said conveyor belt through a drying chamber in which air, preferably heated, passes downwardly through the material, and on leaving the drying chamber, the treated material can be at once submitted to further treatment.

Such an apparatus is more particularly suitable for the purpose of band drying, for instance for drying of card slivers, tops and the like, and has'considerable advantages over other drying apparatus for such bands.

In the drying apparatus as heretofore constructed for treating bands such as card slivers, tops and the like, the bands were guided in a freely floating manner in zig-zag fashion over guide rollers. Consequently, it was very diflicult, and took a great deal of time, to tie on any torn yarn. The yarns or bands were easily liable to get tangled, and it was very diflicult to rearrange them.

In the drying apparatus according to the invention, the bands or yarns are supported on a conveyor belt. In passing through the drying chamber, they are supported by the said conveyor belt and pressed down upon it by the air current drawn through the material and are therefore carried through the drying chamber free from tension. For this reason, any tearing and tanglin of the bands or warp yarns are precluded. should the bands or yarns however tear or tangle in spite of this it will not be necessary to remedy this until after the material leaves the drying chamher, because the torn ends are supported by 4 the conveyor belt and held fast on it by the air current. Consequently, stoppages and unnecessary waste due to the tangling of the material to be dried, will be avoided. Furthermore, it is possible, with apparatus con- 4 structed. according to this invention to Work with a more energetic-ventilation than when freely floating conveyor belts are employed, as the yarns and the like adhere to the conveyor belt and are not exposed by the air currentto any inadmissible movement, that is to say they can withstand, without being damaged, any air current.

Several constructions of such a drying apparatus are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically in longitudinal elevation a drying apparatus for thread-like material,

Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Figure 1,

Fig.- 3 is a diagrammatic view in longitudinal sectional elevation showing amodified construction, and

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified construction of drying apparatus.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bands or yarns 2 drawn from the spools 1, are taken up by the conveyor belt 3 which passes through the drying chamber 4 on rollers 5. At the end of the drying chamber, the bands or yarns are reeled on spools or the like 6 which are rotated by means of any desired drive 7. Reeds or combs 8 arrange the bands of yarns in proper position next to each other, and similar reeds or combs 9 in front of the winding spools 6 ensure the proper guiding and arrangement of the threads which then pass downwardly over rollers 10 to the wlnding spools or reels 6. The air currents, utilized for the drying, pass through the material lying on the conveyor belt 3, as indicated by the arrows 11. These air currents exercise a pressure on the material, so that it cannot get tangled. The material therefore passes without any tension through the drying chamber.

'The drying may be followed, if required,

by cooling or by renewed moistening or conditioning.

In the construction shown in Figure 3, the drying belt 3 is carried in a single section through the drying apparatus. The sliver 2 is drawn out of the container or can 1 and passes over rollers 5 which support the conveyor-belt 3, under the roller 5' which directs the threads properly through the drying chamber 4, and is suitably wound again at-6. For the purpose of lengthening the passage of the sliver 2 through the drying chamber, the rollers 5 therein are soarranged that the sliver first passes upwardly in the drying chamber, then horizontally and then passes downwardly and outwardly.

Accordingly, the air currents 11 are directed through the card sliver at right an: gles thereto in any suitable manner. From the foregoing it will be seeri that the bands, yarns and the like are conveyed through the drying chamber on a horizontal conveyor belt which is permeable to air, and that the saidbands or yarns are subjected to circular air currents which act in a perpendicular direction on the surface of the-conveyor belt from above through the bandsor yarns to the belt, so that the material being dried, when passing through the said drying chamber, is prevented from having any self movement.

I claim 1. In combination, supply means for feeding a thread; take-up means for drawing and storing said thread after it is fed; air-permeable supporting means movable with the thread and engaging and supporting the threads between the supply and take-u and means for directing a draft of air su tantially at right angles through the threads and against the supporting means; said draft, supporting means and take-up means cooperating to hold the threads substantially free of tension between the supporting means and take-up means.

2. In combination, arrangin means engaging a plurality of threads or disposing them side-by-side in substantially parallel relation; air-permeable supporting means movable with the thread and enga 'ng and supporting the threads while thus isposed; and means for directing a draft substantially at right angles through the threads and thence through the supporting means, to dry the threads; said draft, supporting means and arranging means co-operating to hold the threads in substantially parallel relation.

3. In combination, a drying chamber; a'

constantly moving endless conveyor belt permeable to air currents and disposed with a horizontal upper supportin portion, on whichthreads may be laid, within the chamber; a plurality of take-up spools at the discharge end of -said supporting portion; means for driving the take-up spools; transverse combs arranged at opposite ends of said supporting portion; the threads being passed through the receiving-end comb and disposed side-by-side longitudinally of said sup orting portion and passing thence througli the discharge-end comb to be drawn upon the take-up spools at the speed at which said su porting portion travels, whereby said thre s are disposed longitudinal to the direction of travel of the supporting portion and held substantially free of tension; and means for forcing air currents downwardly and substantially at right angles through the upper portion to dry the threads and to hold the threads longitudinal to the supporting portion.

4. In combination, supply means for feeding a plurality of substantially continuous threads; air-permeable sup orting means movable with the threads an engaging and supporting the threads as it is fed, and means for directing a draft of air substantially a right angles against the threads and thence through the supporting means, to dry the threads and hold them on the supportin means; said draft, supporting means an feeding means co-operating to hold the threads against excessive tension between the feeding means and the supporting means.

5. In combination, a drying chamber; a constantly moving endless conveyor belt permeable to air currents and disposed with a horizontal supporting portion within the chamber; a plurality of supplyspools near the receivin end of said portion; a plurality of ta e-up spools at the discharge end of said portion; transverse combs arranged at opposite ends of said portion;

threads from said supply spools being passed through the receiving end-comb and ispos'ed side-by-side longitudinally of said portion,

passing thence through the discharge-end I comb and drawn upon the take-up spools; and means for forcing air currents downwardly substantially at right angles through said portion to dry the threads and to ho d the threads longitudinal to the supporting portion, minimize breaking and tangling of the threads and to hold broken or tangled threads on the support until they pass throu h the chamber.

6. n apparatus comprising, a drying chamber; a constantly moving endless conveyor belt permeable to air currents and disposed with a horizontal upper supporting portion and lower portion within the chamber; supply spools near the receiving end. of said supporting portion; take up spools at the discharge end of said supporting portion; drive means for driving the take up spools; guide means at opposite ends of said supporting portion. to receive threads from said supply spools and guide them side-by-side longitudinally of the supporting portion and thence to the take up spools; said drive means having a speed to cause the threads to be drawn onto the take up spools with the speed ofcsaid supporting portion, whereby said threads are maintained substantially free of tension; means for forcing air currents downwardly substantially at right angles to and through the threads and said upper portion to dry the threads and to hold the threads longitudinal to the supporting portion and against sidewise movement to minimize breaking and tangling. 1

7. An apparatus comprising, a drying chamber; a constantly moving endless conveyor belt permeable to air currents and disposed with a horizontal upper supporting portion within the chamber; supply means near the receiving end of said supporting portion; take-up means at the discharge end of said supporting portion means for driving the take up means; guide means at opposite ends ofsaid supporting portion to receive continuous pieces of material from said supply means and guide them in side-by-side parallel relation longitudinal- 1;; of the supporting portion and thence to t e take-up means; said take-up means drawin the material thereon at the speed of sai supporting portion, whereby said pieces of material are disposed longitudiml to the direction of travel of the supporting portion substantially free of tension; means for forcing air currents downwardly substantially at right angles through the material and said upper portion to dry the material and to serve the multiple function of holding the pieces on, and longitudinal to, the supporting portion and against sidewise movement to minimize tangling and to cause the thread to travel at the same speed as the supporting portion and the take .up means to minimize tangling of the pieces and to hold broken or tangled pieces on the support until they pass through the chamber.

8. An apparatus comprising, a drying chamber; a constantly moving endless conveyor belt permeable to air currents and disposed with a horizontal upper supporting portion within the chamber; supply spools near the receiving end of said supporting portion; take up spools at the discharge end of said supporting portion; means for driving the take up spools; guide means at opposite ends of said supporting portion to receive threads from said supply spools and guide them side-by-side longitudinally of the supporting portion and thence to the take up s ools; the spools having a speed to draw t e threads thereon at the speed of said supportin ortion, to hold the threads substantial y ree of tension; means for forcing air currents downwardly at right angles through the threads and said upper portion to dry the threads and to hold the threads longitudinal to the supporting portion and against sidewise movement to minimize breakage and tangling; said apparatus being free of structure engageable, with said threads above and adjacent to said upper supporting portion, thereb to avoid rubbing, loosening and other amage to the threa s.

9. An apparatus comprising, a drying chamber; a constantly moving endless conveyor belt permeable to air currents and disposed with a horizontal upper supporting portion and lower portion within the chamber; supply spools near the receiving end of said supporting portion; take up spools at the discharge end of said supporting portion; means for driving the take up spools; guide means at opposite ends of said supporting portion to receive threads from said supply spools and guide them sideby-side longitudinally of the supporting portion and thence to the take up spools; the drive means having a speed to cause the threads to be drawn onto the spools at the speed of said supporting portion; means for forcing air currents downwardly substantially at right angles through the threads and said upper portion to dry the threads and to hold the threads longitudinal to the supporting portion and against sidewise movement to minimize breaking and tangling; said apparatus being free of structure engageable with said threads above and adjacent to said upper support ing portion, thereby to avoid rubbing, loosening and other damage to the threads; said upper and lower portions being widely spaced to prevent. rebound of the air currents from the lower portion from lifting the threads from the upper portion into the structure free space, and tangling them.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. RICHARD SCHILDE. 

